SINCE joining Alder Hey Mrs Jones has become an OBE, the hospital has gained foundation Trust status and has also been at the centre of several big health achievements.

In February it became the site of the first paediatric 3-T MRI scanner in Europe, which was officially opened by Prince William.

It has improved the treatment of brain tumours dramatically.

But to Angela Jones the most important issue going forward is the hospital rebuild.

She said: “I am so proud of the staff.

“We are at a point now where it is all systems go, we have ticked all the boxes for Monitor which is the body that scrutinises us.

“But the next five years are not for me, we need someone fresh with enthusiasm who will see the health park though to completion.

“I made a decision that at some point I would have to go, and this seemed to me a win win, knowing I was passing the baton on to the person who will take it forward to the next five years, hopefully to the opening of the world class build.”

And she is all too aware of how badly the new build is needed: “The building is 100 years old, with a corridor a mile long running through it.

“The departments are in an order that no one in their right minds would design and there is no privacy for patients and families.

“Staff and patients deserve better.

“The people who work for us do a fantastic job but this is in spite of building.

“We have people who lead the country in their field, but if the building stays many may want to go somewhere with better conditions and a better building. We cannot let this happen.”

Mrs Jones will leave in October, so the hospital has time to find a successor.

She says she will now spend more time with her three-year-old granddaughter Rose, but is determined she will not draw back from her former duties completely.

She added: “I would like in some way to remain, to keep my hand in, it is a bit of a waste to lose 10 years of experience and knowledge that could help in some way.

“It has been a roller-coaster ride, but this hospital is part of me and this is the best time to hand over my responsibilities.”